News

‘Faculty Collects’ exhibition featured at USD

VERMILLION, S.D. -- The University Art Galleries at the University of South Dakota presents a special exhibition entitled "USD Faculty Collects." The show opens Thursday, March 13 and will run through April 1 in the Main Gallery of the Warren M. Lee Center for the Fine Arts. A reception is scheduled for Friday, March 28, from 7 p.m. to 9 p.m. The public is invited to attend free of charge.

"Faculty Collects" is an exhibit showcasing the collecting activity of the art faculty at USD. The show recognizes that artists have traditionally been among the most dedicated art collectors, building major collections of art that they admired and which influence their own work. Academic artists who collect are particularly favored by being in an environment charged with creative energy and often acquire works by exchange with peers as well as through purchase.

According to Cory Knedler, Chair of the USD Art Department, "Faculty Collects" is an opportunity for the public to see unique but limited works of art from private collections.

"This show is especially important for students because it provides insights into the aesthetic perceptions of their faculty," Knedler said.

To promote this educational dimension of the exhibition, faculty provided a statement of their collecting philosophy and experience. In addition, each of the nine participating members of the art faculty included a piece of their own art work as a point of aesthetic reference. The work selected by most faculty includes pieces collected early in their careers in addition to recent acquisitions and range across media and styles.

The Main Gallery in the Warren M. Lee Center for the Fine Arts is open free of charge to the public from 8 a.m. to 5 p.m. weekdays and from 1 p.m. to 5 p.m. on weekends. Tours and special showings during non-public hours are available upon request. For more information about this exhibition, please contact John A. Day, director of the University of South Dakota Art Galleries, at (605) 677-3177 or jday@usd.edu.